New desk (sorta) and flying pies

Today was the last day of your Guidewire training class.

Yay!!!

Actually, I thought the training was very good even if it was over ClaimCenter and our project is with BillingCenter (ClaimCenter is their established product and one which another group is currently working on implementing. Billing Center is a new product from GW which GAIC will be the first to implement). From what I have heard, the work will be twofold 1) work with the business side and team to hash out details for an integration point. 2) Work with BillingCenter's built in extension abilities to create custom integration points that will connect the two systems. Shouldn't be too bad.

The first integration point I have been tasked with is integrating BC with the Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system. I have just started looking into it but basically, the IVR is a large phone system with voice activated menus and understanding. Customers can call in and enter one of two modes: Inquiry and Payment. I will be developing the Inquiry mode integration first. The IVR system needs to be able to query the BC server for various information on a users policy, account, and payment plans. Its a pretty interesting system. Should be good.

After the training was over we moved up to our main building 2 blocks north of where are training was (I timed the walk from the 11th floor to my car at the ballpark and it was 10 cold minutes which isn't bad). The building is cool and the offices are nice except that the guys I am working on this project with and myself are sitting in a converted storage closet. Yeah closet. No cube for me. Now, don't get me wrong its plenty big and just as good as a cube but the fact is that it must have been originally designed as a storage room not a office. All well, you can't win them all.

Tonight was our Jan monthly Sark meeting. As usual the food was very good (and even better b/c its free) and it was nice to get to talk to all of the guys who still/did work out at GE. Evidently just after I left (a few weeks ago) they announced a full re-organizing of the Technical Services Group (where I worked) where they basically gave all of the GE employees 45 guaranteed and then the re-org would take effect. They are consolidating a number of positions, changing the management structure and now everyone can/has to re-apply for their jobs which are being publicly advertised. Basically, the GE employees are getting screwed for the most part. Some have left, some are looking, and it sounds like a lot are not sure what will happen. Sark is doing ok out there still but we have lost most of the people who really liked and hired us so who knows going forward.

Finally, some interesting stuff happened at the mtg. First, they are starting a indoor soccer team in a month or two which should be fun. Two, our Feb. mtg will be at the high speed indoor go-kart place again which rocks. They are reserving a private room for our St. Patty's day happy-hour and there will a snow-tubing night in a few weekends for everyone and their families, which should be a ton of fun. Finally, tonight we had the Pie Throwing from our Sark charity auction (certain people in the office auctioned off pies in the face for the charity). Several office people including the office director took pies in the face (and one large cake for an account manager :-D) Fun times